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1 National Policing Improvement Agency PRACTICE IMPROVEMENT This PDF file contains interactive links to help you navigate the document quickly. Clicking on any of the items in the main list of Contents will take you directly to the page listed. Or click on any item in the list of Contents at the start of each section. To immediately access items cross-referred within this document, and any web links shown, click on those items appearing in colour. To return to the main list of Contents, simply click on the title line at the foot of each page.

2 National Policing Improvement Agency PRACTICE IMPROVEMENT GUIDANCE ON INVESTIGATING CHILD ABUSE AND SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN Second Edition 2009 Produced on behalf of the Association of Chief Police Officers by the National Policing Improvement Agency

3 This guidance contains information to assist policing in the United Kingdom. It is marked as under the Government Protective Marking Scheme. GUIDANCE ON INVESTIGATING CHILD ABUSE AND SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN, Second Edition This document has been produced by the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) on behalf of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO). It will be updated according to legislative and policy changes and re-released as required. The NPIA was established by the Police and Justice Act As part of its remit the NPIA is required to develop policing doctrine, including guidance, in consultation with ACPO, the Home Office and the Police Service. Guidance produced by the NPIA should be used by chief officers to shape police responses to ensure that the general public experience consistent levels of service. The implementation of all guidance will require operational choices to be made at local level in order to achieve the appropriate police response. If you would like to receive this publication in an alternative format, please contact: Specialist Operations Centre Wyboston Lakes, Great North Road, Wyboston, Bedfordshire MK44 3BY Telephone: All other enquiries relating to this publication should also be addressed to the Specialist Operations Centre at the above address. Acknowledgements ACPO and the NPIA would like to express their thanks to all those involved in the drafting of this document. Particular thanks are extended to CEOP for their expertise and support during its development. All of the responses during the consultation phase of this project were appreciated and contributed to the final document. First published 2005 by National Centre for Policing Excellence (Centrex). This edition published 2009 by the NPIA. ACPO (Association of Chief Police Officers) 2009 NPIA (National Policing Improvement Agency) 2009 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, modified, amended, stored in any retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the National Policing Improvement Agency and the Association of Chief Police Officers or their duly authorised representative. For copyright specific enquiries, please telephone the National Police Library on

4 CONTENTS Preface PART ONE INVESTIGATING CHILD ABUSE Section 1 MANAGING THE POLICE RESPONSE TO INVESTIGATING CHILD ABUSE Duty To Safeguard Children Key Definitions A Child Child Abuse Physical Abuse Emotional Abuse Sexual Abuse Neglect Significant Harm Child in Need Identifying, Assessing and Managing Risk Established Risk Factors Assessing and Managing Risk Child Abuse and Associated Investigations Abandoned Babies or Children Indecent Images of Children Allegations against People Who Work with Children Animal Abuse Bullying in Schools Child Abduction (Including Parental Abduction) Child Homicides Child Trafficking Complex Child Abuse Domestic Abuse and Domestic Homicide Fabricated or Induced Illness Female Genital Mutilation Forced Marriage Grooming Historical Child Abuse Honour-Based Violence and other Illegitimate Justifications for Abuse Managing Sexual Offenders and Violent Offenders Missing Children or Families Offending by Children Rape, Sexual Activity and Pregnancy of a Child Stalking and Harassment Travelling Sexual Offenders Sexual Exploitation of Children Sudden Unexpected Death in Childhood

5 CONTENTS 1.5 All Staff Responsibility ACPO Lead for Safeguarding Children Response and Neighbourhood Policing Teams Specialist Investigations and Departments Child Abuse Investigation Units Investigation of Crimes Relating to Child Abuse Other Specialist Investigations Leadership, Management and Supervision in a Child Abuse Investigation Unit General Staffing Issues Staff Selection and Vetting Staff Welfare and Support Training and Development Training and Development for those Providing the First Response Training and Development for Child Abuse Investigation Unit Officers Training for Supervisors and Senior Investigators Managing Information about Child Abuse Use of the Term Referral External Referral to the Police from another Agency Report to the Police of Concern for a Child from an Individual Internal Referral to the Child Abuse Investigation Unit Assessment of External and Internal Referrals, Reports and Intelligence Information and Intelligence Checks Use of the National Intelligence Model Feedback to Agencies and Individuals Who Report or Refer Concerns about Children Critical Incidents and Community Impact Assessments Critical Incidents Community Impact Assessments Police Role in Multi-Agency Arrangements for Safeguarding Children Local Safeguarding Children Boards Other Relevant Multi-Agency Arrangements Multi-Agency Information Systems Common Assessment Framework Service Level Agreements and Multi-Agency Protocols Agency or Institutional Audits Multi-Agency Prevention and Education Initiatives Police Suspected of Child Abuse Monitoring, Evaluating and Learning Lessons

6 Section 2 INITIAL POLICE RESPONSE TO CONCERN FOR A CHILD Safety Issues Information Required in an Initial Report of Child Abuse Preservation of Evidence in Emergency Calls Resource Deployment Deployment and Reports of Sudden Unexpected Death in Childhood Any Incident that Prompts Concern for a Child Powers of Entry Establishing the Welfare of the Child Seeing and Speaking to the Child Observing and Recording the Child s Condition Safeguarding the Child s Welfare Use of Interpreters and Intermediaries Other Actions on Arrival at the Scene Parental Responsibility Arrest Strategy Police Protection Suitable Accommodation Roles of the Initiating Officer and the Designated Officer Releasing the Child from Police Protection Use of Reasonable Force Preservation of Physical Evidence and Scene Protection Considerations in Particular Types of Investigation Initial Response Where Electronic Evidence or a Computer Is Involved Initial Response if Drug- or Salt-Induced Poisoning Is Suspected Initial Response to Honour-Based Violence Initial Response to Sudden Unexpected Death in Childhood Initial Response to Suspected Parental Abduction Risk Identification Action in Urgent or Serious Cases Single Point of Contact Internal Referral to the Child Abuse Investigation Unit and External Referrals to other Agencies Cross-Border and International Investigations

7 CONTENTS Section 3 POLICE RESPONSES AND MULTI-AGENCY WORKING TO SAFEGUARD CHILDREN External Referrals, Multi-Agency Communication and Decision Making and Criminal Investigations External Referrals to the Police and Criminal Investigations Children s Social Care Enquiries and Criminal Investigations by the Police External Referrals from the Police to other Agencies Strategy Discussions and Meetings Child Protection Conferences Initial Child Protection Conference Child Protection Review Conference Risk Assessments for Conferences and Meetings Multi-Agency Information Sharing, Intelligence Gathering and Decision Making Obtaining Information for a Criminal Investigation Sharing Information in the Child Protection Process Sharing Information Relating to People Working with Children Sharing Information in Cases of Urgency Sharing Information in Family Proceedings Court Orders Relating to Specific Children Care Order Contact Order Child Assessment Order Emergency Protection Order Exclusion Order or Exclusion Requirement Prohibited Steps Order Recovery Order Residence Order Specific Issue Order Supervision Order Undertakings Serious Case Reviews and Individual Management Reviews Serious Case Reviews Parallel Proceedings Serious Case Review Representation Individual Management Review Authors Police Discipline Individual Management Reviews and Associated Plans Serious Case Review Action Plans

8 Section 4 FURTHER INVESTIGATION AND OTHER POLICE ACTION Police Responsibility for Criminal Investigation Managing the Investigation Lines of Enquiry Lines of Enquiry in Cases of Neglect Lines of Enquiry in Cases of Sudden Unexpected Death in Childhood Lines of Enquiry in Cases Involving Child Abuse Images Forensic Medical Examinations Consent for the Forensic Medical Examination Role of the Examining Doctor Timing of the Forensic Medical Examination Planning and Recording the Forensic Medical Examination Physical Evidence Forensic Science Photographic and Visually Recorded Evidence Using Recordings of Emergency and other Calls to the Police Search Strategy Victim and Witness Evidence Interviews of Children and Special Measures Identification Procedures and Facial Composition with Child Victims Victim Personal Statements Withdrawal and Retraction Statements Other Evidence Debriefing the First Officer at the Scene House-to-House Enquiries, CCTV and Enquiries with other Potential Witnesses Covert Methods Information and Services from other Agencies Suspect Interviews Interviews in Connection with Child Abuse Images and Related Offences Charging and Pre-Charge Advice Remand, Police Bail and Release of Suspects Remand and Police Bail Keeping the Victim and Parent or Carer Informed Informing the Suspect of No Further Action MAPPA and Managing Potentially Dangerous Persons Preparing Information for the Crown Prosecution Service Preparing for a Child To Give Evidence at Court Pre-Trial Therapy for Child Witnesses Supporting a Child and Preparing Them for Court Media Strategy

9 CONTENTS PART TWO INVESTIGATING COMPLEX CHILD ABUSE Section 5 MANAGING A COMPLEX CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATION Management of the Initial Investigation Scoping the Potential Scale and Nature of the Investigation Major Investigations and Terms of Reference Staffing Issues Selection Welfare Training Potential for Civil Litigation Exit Strategy Reviews Section 6 COMPLEX CHILD ABUSE: INVESTIGATIVE STRUCTURE AND MULTI-AGENCY WORKING Gold Group (Overarching Policy Group) Silver Group (Operational Group) Internal Briefings Multi-Agency Working Initial Risk Assessment File Examinations and Retention Option 1: Police Retention of Files Option 2: Children s Social Care Retention of Files Option 3: Children s Social Care Embassy System Collocated in Police Premises Joint Investigation Crown Prosecution Service Section 7 COMPLEX CHILD ABUSE: FURTHER INVESTIGATIVE DEVELOPMENT AND EVIDENCE GATHERING Potential Witness Identification Using the Media To Contact Victims and Witnesses Telephone Response Lines Dip Sampling Witness Networking Use of Websites, s and Social Networking Sites

10 7.2 Witness/Victim Approach and Protocol Letter Drop Cold Call Contact by the Force Where the Victim Lives Further Risk Assessment Impact on others Associated with Witnesses, Victims and Suspects Other Interested Parties and Groups Forensic Strategy Suspect Strategy Arrest Strategy in Complex Child Abuse Investigations Search of Suspect(s) Premises Charging No Further Action Policy Disciplinary Proceedings Relating to the Suspect Suspects Living or Working Overseas Section 8 VICTIMS AND WITNESSES IN COMPLEX CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATIONS Special Measures Victim and Witness Risk Assessment Victim or Witness Identification: Further Issues Victim and Witness Care and Support in Complex Child Abuse Investigations Maintenance of Victim/Witness Contact Logs Significant Witness and Interviewing Procedures Counselling and Therapy Criminal Injuries Compensation Support Organisations Child Victims Care Proceedings (Looked after Children) Allegations of False Complaints Appendix 1 ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS Appendix 2 REFERENCES

11 CONTENTS Summary of Checklists Checklist 1: Information Gathering Checklist 2: Deployment Checklist 3: Recording the Child s Condition Checklist 4: Other Actions on Arrival at the Scene Checklist 5: Protecting the Scene Checklist 6: Immediate Actions in Cases of Sudden Unexpected Death in Childhood Where the Child Remains at the Scene of Death Checklist 7: Immediate Actions in Cases of Sudden Unexpected Death in Childhood When the Child Has Been Taken to Hospital Checklist 8: Immediate Actions in Cases of Suspected Parental Abduction Checklist 9: Information for an Internal Referral to the Child Abuse Investigation Unit Checklist 10: General Lines of Enquiry Checklist 11: Lines of Enquiry in Cases of Neglect Checklist 12: Lines of Enquiry in Cases of Sudden Unexpected Death in Childhood Checklist 13: Use of Photographic Evidence Checklist 14: Visually Recorded Evidence Gathering Checklist 15: File Preparation

12 PREFACE Protecting and safeguarding our children is one of the most important roles of the Police Service. It is in the way in which the Police Service protects and responds to the most vulnerable in society that we and the other agencies are to be judged. Children are people who have the same rights as adults to the protection offered by the criminal law and the services of the police. The priorities of the Police Service in responding to child abuse and neglect are to: Protect the lives of children and ensure that in the policing of child abuse the welfare of all children is paramount; Investigate all reports of child abuse and neglect and protect the rights of child victims of crime; Establish the investigation of child abuse and safeguarding of children as a mainstream policing activity; Take effective action against offenders so that they can be held accountable, through the criminal justice system, while safeguarding the welfare of the child; Adopt a proactive multi-agency approach to preventing and reducing child abuse and neglect and safeguarding children. The legal obligations that underpin the above priorities include the duties within the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and the Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA) (which incorporates the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR, into UK law) to protect life and to protect individuals from torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Other key legislation includes the Children Act 1989 and the Children Act Both the HRA and other legislation, such as the Race Relations Act 1976 (as amended), place a clear responsibility on public authorities to fulfil these obligations without discriminating on a range of grounds including race, disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation, gender and age. Inquiries into child deaths and homicides such as Laming, H. (2003) The Victoria Climbié Inquiry Report and HC 330 (2009) The Protection of Children in England: A Progress Report, demonstrate the necessity for all victims of child abuse to receive the appropriate quality of service according to their individual needs. All allegations should be properly investigated and offenders held accountable through the criminal justice system, without discrimination. Chief officers should actively demonstrate their leadership in this area by establishing, implementing and overseeing policies which ensure that the police response to child abuse, neglect and the safeguarding of children fully supports and achieves these priorities. This requires all police staff to be confident in identifying child abuse, confident in responding appropriately and for subsequent criminal investigations to be undertaken by specialist investigators. In achieving these priorities and fulfilling these obligations, it is essential to work in partnership with both criminal justice agencies and other statutory and voluntary sector services. The HC 653 (2004) The Bichard Inquiry Report established the importance of managing intelligence, information and information systems relating to child abuse, and the appropriate sharing of information and intelligence. 9

13 This guidance replaces ACPO (2005) Guidance on Investigating Child Abuse and Safeguarding Children and incorporates additional information from ACPO (2005) Practice Advice on Investigating Indecent Images of Children on the Internet. Part 1 of the guidance relates to general issues on the investigation of child abuse. Part 2 relates to the investigation of complex abuse and is a revised version of ACPO (2002) The SIO Handbook The Investigation of Historical Institutional Child Abuse. The term child abuse relates to the age of the victim at the time of the alleged offence (under 18 years) and not to their age at the time of reporting it. This guidance may also be useful when considering investigative options in relation to offences concerning other vulnerable persons in a complex setting (eg, a residential or nursing home for elderly people or people with learning disabilities). The purpose of this guidance is to provide the Police Service with clear information about investigating child abuse and neglect and safeguarding children. The focus is on the investigation of child abuse. Broader issues relating to safeguarding children are covered in a range of other documents, eg, HM Government (2006) Working Together to Safeguard Children: A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children (hereafter referred to as Working Together). Management issues are summarised at the end of each section. The guidance is structured to follow the pattern of reporting, responding to and investigating child abuse. It also contains specific advice about the role of the Child Abuse Investigation Unit (CAIU) officers and their supervisors. In all aspects of this guidance the key principle is the welfare of the child. This requires a consistent quality of investigation and police response regardless of the environment in which the abuse occurs (eg, family, institution or online) and the context or crime type (by prostituting or trafficking a child). For details of minimum standards relating to the protection of vulnerable people, see ACPO (2007) Protective Services Minimum Standards. This guidance should be read in conjunction with Working Together and HM Government (2006) What to do if you re worried a child is being abused. Department of Health (2000) Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families provides comprehensive guidance to agencies for carrying out assessments of children and their families. The Welsh equivalent to Working Together is Welsh Assembly Government (2007) Safeguarding Children Working Together under the Children Act For chief officers, the following strategic issues emerge from the guidance: Implementing a comprehensive force policy that incorporates this guidance and which works alongside associated policies, such as those relating to the investigation of domestic abuse (see ACPO (2008) Guidance on Investigating Domestic Abuse) and rape (see ACPO/CPS (2009) Guidance on Investigating and Prosecuting Rape); Ensuring the contribution of the force to strategic multi-agency partnerships which focus on safeguarding children; Ensuring that child abuse is investigated to the same standard as any other form of serious crime and that adequate resources are allocated to this high-risk area of police business; Developing information systems in accordance with ACPO (2006) Guidance on the Management of Police Information and other national guidance and systems for the police and other agencies; 10

14 Focusing on police responsibility for the investigation of child abuse and, in particular, its law enforcement role in the multi-agency response; Ensuring that the training needs of staff are met through the use of the NPIA Specialist Child Abuse Investigator s Development Programme and other relevant national and local police and multi-agency training initiatives, such as those provided by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre; Ensuring that the welfare needs of staff in this specialist area of work are considered and appropriately accounted for; Ensuring the effective supervision of all aspects of policing child abuse. ACPO is committed to contributing to HM Government (2009) The protection of children in England: action plan, which is the government s response to HC 330 (2009) The Protection of Children in England: A Progress Report. This guidance forms part of that contribution. As recognised by Lord Laming, it is only the consistent implementation of guidance such as this that keeps children and young people safe. 11

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16 PART ONE INVESTIGATING CHILD ABUSE 13

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18 Section 1 MANAGING THE POLICE RESPONSE TO INVESTIGATING CHILD ABUSE SECTION 1 This section summarises key definitions relating to child abuse and safeguarding children. It explains and outlines the duty on the police to safeguard children, and links in with other associated investigations. It also outlines the ways in which concerns about children come to the attention of the police, and provides guidance for the management and supervision of these often complex investigations. This section is relevant for all police officers and police staff who may receive a report of an incident involving a child, or who deal with situations which may indicate concerns about a child, and all police managers and those involved in developing policy on police responses to child abuse and safeguarding children. CONTENTS 1.1 Duty To Safeguard Children Key Definitions A Child Child Abuse Physical Abuse Emotional Abuse Sexual Abuse Neglect Significant Harm Child in Need Identifying, Assessing and Managing Risk Established Risk Factors Assessing and Managing Risk Child Abuse and Associated Investigations Abandoned Babies or Children Indecent Images of Children Allegations against People Who Work with Children Animal Abuse Bullying in Schools Child Abduction (Including Parental Abduction) Child Homicides Child Trafficking Complex Child Abuse Domestic Abuse and Domestic Homicide Fabricated or Induced Illness

19 Female Genital Mutilation Forced Marriage Grooming Historical Child Abuse Honour-Based Violence and other Illegitimate Justifications for Abuse Managing Sexual Offenders and Violent Offenders Missing Children or Families Offending by Children Rape, Sexual Activity and Pregnancy of a Child Stalking and Harassment Travelling Sexual Offenders Sexual Exploitation of Children Sudden Unexpected Death in Childhood All Staff Responsibility ACPO Lead for Safeguarding Children Response and Neighbourhood Policing Teams Specialist Investigations and Departments Child Abuse Investigation Units Investigation of Crimes Relating to Child Abuse Other Specialist Investigations Leadership, Management and Supervision in a Child Abuse Investigation Unit General Staffing Issues Staff Selection and Vetting Staff Welfare and Support Training and Development Training and Development for those Providing the First Response Training and Development for Child Abuse Investigation Unit Officers Training for Supervisors and Senior Investigators Managing Information about Child Abuse Use of the Term Referral External Referral to the Police from another Agency Report to the Police of Concern for a Child from an Individual Internal Referral to the Child Abuse Investigation Unit Assessment of External and Internal Referrals, Reports and Intelligence Information and Intelligence Checks Use of the National Intelligence Model Feedback to Agencies and Individuals Who Report or Refer Concerns about Children Critical Incidents and Community Impact Assessments Critical Incidents Community Impact Assessments Police Role in Multi-Agency Arrangements for Safeguarding Children Local Safeguarding Children Boards Other Relevant Multi-Agency Arrangements Multi-Agency Information Systems Common Assessment Framework Service Level Agreements and Multi-Agency Protocols Agency or Institutional Audits Multi-Agency Prevention and Education Initiatives Police Suspected of Child Abuse Monitoring, Evaluating and Learning Lessons

20 1.1 DUTY TO SAFEGUARD CHILDREN The focus of this guidance is on the investigation of child abuse in the context of broader duties on the police relating to safeguarding children. This section summarises issues relating to safeguarding children that are dealt with in detail in other documents, eg, Working Together. The Every Child Matters framework, supported by the Children Act 2004, establishes the principle that all children deserve the opportunity to achieve their full potential. This is set out in five outcomes that are essential to children and young people s wellbeing: Stay safe; Be healthy; Enjoy and achieve; Make a positive contribution; Achieve economic wellbeing. For more details of the Every Child Matters framework, see Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children involves protecting them from abuse and neglect, preventing impairment of their health and development, and ensuring that they grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care, enabling them to have optimum life chances and enter adulthood successfully. Child protection is a part of safeguarding and promoting welfare and refers to activity undertaken to protect specific children who are suffering or at risk of suffering significant harm. The police and a number of other agencies have a duty under section 11 of the Children Act 2004 to ensure that their functions are discharged with regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. For further information on this duty, see HM Government (2007) Statutory guidance on making arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children under section 11 of the Children Act Criminal investigations relating to child abuse are the responsibility of the police. Under the Children Act 1989, the local authority is responsible for assessments of children in need (under section 17 of the Act) and enquiries relating to children who are suffering or likely to suffer significant harm (under section 47). In most cases there will be links between the role of the police and children s services, including children s social care, but one of the key aspects of the multi-agency duty to safeguard children is that the two roles are distinct and separate. The Human Rights Act 1998 places positive obligations on police officers to take reasonable action, within their powers, to safeguard the rights of children. These include the right to life (Article 2, ECHR), the right not to be subjected to torture or inhuman or degrading treatment (Article 3, ECHR) and the right to respect for private and family life (Article 8, ECHR). Failure to exercise police powers relating to protecting children, investigation and/or arrest may leave a victim at risk from further offences and expose the police force to the possibility of legal challenge. The UK has undertaken to protect the fundamental human rights of children by signing a number of international instruments. These include the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of the Child (ratified by the UK Government in 1991) and the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings and its optional protocols. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is based on the premise that children (which includes all people below the age of 18 years for the purposes of the Convention) are born with fundamental freedoms and the inherent rights of all human beings. MANAGING THE POLICE RESPONSE TO INVESTIGATING CHILD ABUSE 17

21 Every child has a right to equal access to services which provide them with protection, irrespective of their ethnic background, religion, culture or class and each child should be treated as an individual with particular needs. Myths, stereotypes and assumptions about particular cultures and fear of being accused of racism or other prejudice should not divert officers from noting and acting upon signs of child neglect or ill-treatment. No cultural or religious heritage takes precedence over standards of childcare embodied in law. The requirement for action in child abuse cases creates obligations at every stage of the police response. These obligations extend from taking reports of concern for children throughout the whole process of investigation, and include the multi-agency process for safeguarding them. A thorough investigation should be completed in all cases where concern for a child is reported. Officers should also ensure that their actions and decision making (including cases where actions are considered unnecessary or disproportionate) are recorded in detail. Like all criminal investigations, one relating to child abuse is a search for the truth and officers should focus efforts, from the outset of a child abuse investigation, on gathering evidence that does not rely entirely on the victim s statement. 1.2 KEY DEFINITIONS For further information on definitions relating to safeguarding children and child abuse, see Working Together and HM Government (2006) What to do if you re worried a child is being abused. In this section a number of terms relating to child abuse and neglect are defined A CHILD A child is defined by section 105 of the Children Act 1989, as any person under the age of 18 years. Under some legislation the age is lower. For example, the offence of cruelty contrary to section 1 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 applies when the victim is a child under 16 years. Unless relevant legislation indicates otherwise, reference in this guidance to a child refers to someone who is under the age of 18. The term child is used here to include children and young people CHILD ABUSE As described in 1.1 Duty To Safeguard Children the police, along with other agencies, have a broad responsibility to safeguard children. This includes the responsibility for all police staff to respond to any concern for a child, including making referrals as appropriate (see 1.9 Managing Information about Child Abuse). Concern about child abuse is one aspect of safeguarding children. In this guidance the term child abuse includes behaviour relating to physical, sexual or emotional abuse, or neglect, of a child. It does not include straightforward property offences where the child is a victim, for example, theft of a mobile phone. Due to the police role in the criminal justice system, in general, the term child abuse is used to describe criminal offences which constitute such abuse. However, this guidance does acknowledge that the police also have an important role relating to concerns for children which do not involve criminal offences. That role will generally include active involvement in strategic partnerships relating to safeguarding children, and action at an operational level which includes referring any concerns to other agencies for action and for information (see External Referrals from the Police to other Agencies). 18

22 It is concerns about criminal offences relating to child abuse which come from police staff, from other agencies or from members of the public which should be the focus of CAIUs. CAIUs may also have a role in the assessment and management of risk to children which does not necessarily amount to an offence, or suspicion of an offence (see 1.6 Child Abuse Investigation Units and 1.9 Managing Information about Child Abuse). Somebody may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm or by failing to act to prevent harm. Children may be abused in a family or in an institutional or community setting. This can include violent and sexual offences and those of grooming or harassing children (eg, by making contact on the internet). Child abuse can also include offences relating to trafficking and sexually exploiting children. In most manifestations of child abuse the perpetrator is likely to be a family member or someone known to the child. In some cases children may not understand that they are being abused. The complex dynamics of abuse mean that some individuals develop an attachment to the person harming them, which can make identifying abuse more difficult and result in the victim minimising and denying the abuse. This guidance does not include detailed information about the effects of child abuse. Further information about this can be found in the NPIA Specialist Child Abuse Investigator s Development Programme (see also 1.8 Training and Development). Where there is a risk that a child is suffering or is likely to suffer significant harm, or is a child in need, it is the responsibility of the police to take whatever action is appropriate and to refer details about the child to children s social care (see Working Together, and External Referrals from the Police to other Agencies). In all aspects of the police response to concern for a child, including where there are suspicions of child abuse (eg, as part of a criminal investigation), the key principle is the welfare and best interests of the child regardless of the environment in which the abuse occurs (eg, family, institution or online) and the context or crime type (by prostituting or trafficking a child) PHYSICAL ABUSE Physical abuse may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating, or otherwise causing physical harm to a child. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates or induces illness, or deliberately causes ill health to a child in their care (see Fabricated or Induced Illness) EMOTIONAL ABUSE Emotional abuse is the persistent emotional ill-treatment of a child which causes severe and persistent adverse effects on the child s emotional development. It may involve conveying to a child that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate or valued only in so far as they meet the needs of another person. It may, as in some cases of domestic abuse, involve causing children to feel frightened or in danger and includes the exploitation or corruption of children. Age or developmentally inappropriate expectations may also be imposed on children. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of ill-treatment of children, although emotional abuse may occur alone. MANAGING THE POLICE RESPONSE TO INVESTIGATING CHILD ABUSE SEXUAL ABUSE Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. It may also involve physical contact including penetrative or non-penetrative acts. It may include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at child abuse or watching sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways and offences relating to downloading child abuse images. 19